Gas and Development: Rural Territorial Dynamics in Tarija, Bolivia

•Territorial projects shape the influence of the gas industry on local dynamics.•Local effects of extraction depend on the pre-existing structure of rural economies.•Dispute between territorial projects produces fragmentation and underperformance.•The gas boom in Bolivia has not fully fulfilled development expectations in Tarija.

SummaryFramed by concepts of territorial project, social coalitions, and scalar relationships, we analyze rural territorial dynamics under conditions of rapid expansion in natural gas extraction. Analyzing recent economic, political, and territorial transformations of Bolivia’s gas-rich region, Tarija, we argue that pre-existing territorial projects of a diverse set of subnational and national actors have: (i) shaped the influence of the gas industry on local dynamics; (ii) changed the scale relationships between local communities, the state, and companies; and (iii) mediated the transformation of territories in ways determined by the nature and aspirations of these territorial projects.